The master of all trades? Well, perhaps that is a bit elaborate; however, the Cessna 182 is the proven master of a great many aeronautical “trades”, indeed. So, what are the “trades” that we want a General Aviation (GA) aeroplane to be the master of? Well, we want it to be fast, carry lots of fuel, people and baggage, climb well, stall gently, be easy to land and fly, be economical to operate and maintain, and generally be a safe and pleasant ride for us and our passengers -- that’s a lot to ask of one aeroplane. After all, the physical world is based upon compromise and give and take; what is gained here is lost there, etc. Because of this necessary compromise, when it comes to mastering all of these “trades”, virtually every aeroplane fails to make the grade. Some exhibit very high performance but are a handful to fly for the average pilot and others are as gentle as a puppy, but do not perform so well. That ubiquitous physical compromise is present in most instances.

Lycoming 540 engine

Most A&P mechanics refer to the Lycoming 540 as being “bulletproof.” Consider that a Chevrolet big block in an early ‘70’s Corvette is 454 cubic inches, a Skyhawk’s engine is either 320 or 360 cubic inches (like small automobile V-8). The Skylane engine is 541.5 cubic inches, which is bigger than the previously mentioned Chevy big block. I have the same engine in my Comanche, and you feel this 50% bigger engine under the hood, just rumbling and rattling, waiting to be opened up on takeoff. We expanded Accu-Sim to capture the more aggressive nature of operating such a nice and powerful GA engine.

Constant speed prop - propeller physics

We upgraded the propeller physics for the Skylane in several areas. This was necessary to deliver the best experience when operating this new system. For example, many people don’t realize that a 2-blade propeller will generally cruise faster than a 3-blade at all but the very highest altitudes (and I’m talking where oxygen is required). The Skylane manual is based on the 3-blade, so you can squeeze out even more speed by using a 2-blade. The high cruise is just around 167 mph with a 3-blade, and around 170 mph with a 2-blade (keep in mind every plane will have slightly different cruise speeds, which speaks to the uniqueness of each airframe, engine, and prop). However, the 3-blade propeller will, in general, pull harder off the line and perform better in steep climbs. We also improved the modeling and sound of the propeller when it both flattens out and cuts into the air, which is most noticeable during prop checks on the ground.

Cruise management – beyond the book

This was an unexpected, but pleasant discovery when making the Skylane: Our cruise performance accuracy actually exceeds the pilot’s manual. Yes, we’re actually better than “by the book.” This is because some figures in the POH are calculated / estimated. For example, in Accu-Sim, you can realize the benefits of flying at lower RPM’s with higher manifold pressure, or “over square” (higher manifold pressure X 100 than RPM). Some pilot’s are still being told today that running a modern GA engine over square is bad, which is a technique recommended on some older, larger radial engines of the past. The fact is that most engines run better and more efficient at lower RPM and higher manifold pressure, rather than high RPM and low manifold pressure (just make sure you follow the guidelines in the pilot’s handbook for the airplane). Accu-Sim models this efficiency, and we confirmed this on our actual flight tests. So, you will be experiencing the same differences from the POH with Accu-Sim than with the actual airplane. You will also find yourself thinking hard about your mixture, how it affects your cruise performance, temperatures, economy, etc., just like in the real aircraft. Just make sure, any real world pilots out there reading this that you follow the recommended cruise settings for your airplane because there is a limit to how much manifold pressure you are able to use at certain a RPM. Also, some engines require you to avoid certain power settings / RPM ranges due to vibration and balance issues. There is no one size fits all approach, but this Accu-Sim Skylane will certainly help both pilots and sim enthusiasts learn better flying skills and engine management practices.

Cowl flaps and advanced combustion physics

We further researched and developed engine temperatures, both cylinder head and exhaust gas temps. We also re-formulated the impact of mixture on the process and temperatures.

Expanded physical sound

The starter physics, engine starts, shutdowns, and in flight physics are pushed even further. Try playing with the throttle, or kicking the rudder at speed or doing a prop check. It’s a world of wonderful physics that drives our sound engine.

Hand towing

We added a new feature, turning your flight stick or yoke into a tow bar. It really gives the feel you are moving a large plane around, and you can put it exactly where you want it, however you wish. Our own Captain Jake said the other day “This towing is fun!” That’s a good sign coming from a 14 year old.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A true propeller simulation.

Experience the world’s most popular high performance GA airplane.

Designed for both professional commercial pilot training and entertainment.

Immersive pre-flight inspection system designed by pilots while operating the actual Cessna 182.

Piston combustion engine modeling. Air comes in, it mixes with fuel and ignites, parts move, heat up, and all work in harmony to produce the wonderful sound of a Lycoming 360 engine. Now the gauges look beneath the skin of your aircraft and show you what Accu-Sim is all about.

System failures, including flaps that can independently jam or break based on the actual forces put upon them. If you deploy your flaps at too high a speed, you could find yourself in a very dangerous situation.

Authentic battery. The battery capacity is based on temperature. The major draw comes from engine starting.

Oil pressure system is affected by oil viscosity (oil thickness). Oil viscosity is affected by oil temperature. Now when you start the engine, you need to be careful to give the engine time to warm

I live locally in the area, very happy at how its portrayed in the sim

AVIATOR - AVIATOR FOR X-PLANE 11

Michel

You are better be an very good enable analystic programmer on computer to install this product.

DIGITAL DESIGN - LYON-SAINT EXUPERY P3D

Cédric

This scenery is really beautiful. There are a lot of details everywhere and most of the terminals have transparent windows.
But I give 5/5 (I would say it's more a 4.5/5) for one thing: the satellite where low cost aircrafts arrive (parking J and L) is not modelled with transparent windows while the regional terminal (which is similar) is modelled completely. And that's too bad because you can see this location from an airplane while the insides of the TGV station, that has been modelled completely, is not visible from the airport.

DIGITAL DESIGN - LYON-SAINT EXUPERY P3D

Thierry

Beautiful scenery by Digital Design!
The high resolution textures, very well modelled buildings (with interior), and great land class on the approaches on both runways make it, in my opinion, one of the best sceneries available at the moment.
The only thing that disappointed me a little bit, are the 'wet' apron textures. They're all right, but not as breathtaking as on DD's other sceneries.

DIGITAL DESIGN - LYON-SAINT EXUPERY P3D

Rob

What a terrific piece of scenery design. It's not cheap but worth every Euro. There's detail everywhere and frame rates are superb. Don't stay airside either. Take the Pajero and drive around the outside where the car parks and terminal entrances are. The detail is amazing right down to flower beds. Stay airside and you'll miss all of this. Definitely a 5* must have airport. Well done Digital Design.

This is another great scenery package from flightbeam studios so massive well done to the team at flightbeam on yet another fantastic scenery very detailed indeed very happy with this product and the night textures are fantastic aswell definitely 5 stars for this very happy;):) will be getting more of flightbeam studios packages ;)

DIGITAL DESIGN - LYON-SAINT EXUPERY P3D

Murray

Another fantastic scenery from Digital Design. Blends seamlessly with surrounding Orbx products and the performance is excellent.
Textures are crisp and look incredibly real. A must have!

JUSTSIM - HAMBURG AIRPORT V2 - FOR P3D V4.4+

Robin

The product is okay. However, there are annoying mistakes. For example, the scenery sometimes does not correspond to reality because there are still buildings in the simulator that were demolished in reality. In addition, the jetway model is different from stand to stand. That looks bad, maybe you wanted to save work here. It should also be mentioned that the advertising of the jetways has been out of date for years and does not correspond to the real situation. The ground markings in the south of the airport are also incomplete. In my opinion too many mistakes that have arisen from sloppy and incomplete work.

Outstanding add-on under all the points of view; and a great quality/price ratio. I already purchased other airports from this developer, and of course this won't be the last one.

DIGITAL DESIGN - LYON-SAINT EXUPERY P3D

Octave

Finally ! After so many years a decent version of Satolas has been released ! Digital Design put a great attention to detail while still being FPS friendly. The terminal interior (that you can see from your aircraft) has been designed with a lot of attention. The Rhônepress is also modelled and travels to and from airport, but sadly no TGV. Another small problem is that during night with dynamic lighting, the car parking is permantly lighted while the apron lighting turns on spotlight by spotlight as you approach the airport. Overall a great product, which deserves a solid 9/10.